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Rio de Janeiro Vacation Packing List

Including a Convenient Printable Version

As it's more important than ever to travel light, you should create a packing list that's tailored to your Brazilian vacation destination. Having the right type of luggage can make all the difference on your vacation.

Since Rio de Janeiro, Brazil has a tropical climate, you won't need to pack a lot of clothes or any cold weather gear. No worries if you forget something, as both the Copacabana and Ipanema neighborhoods have stores that sell anything you may need.

It's very humid and hotter than blazes in the summer and comfortably warm in the winter, you can wear light clothing and shorts all year around on your Rio de Janeiro vacation. Only in the winter months will you really need something warmer to wear at night, and you can layer clothes or bring along a nice long sleeve shirt in lieu of packing a jacket. However, bringing a light jacket may be a good idea, as it rains frequently.

Because it gets extremely hot and humid during the Brazilian summer months, you'll go through clean clothes pretty quickly and will thus need to bring "wash & wear" items that dry in a day or so. Plan to wash a couple of items every night in the sink and to hang them to dry in the hotel room.

Rio is a very casual city, but you'll need to wear "smart casual" duds when eating at better restaurants or going to clubs. The Carioca women dress very well and pay a lot of attention to their hair and makeup. Carioca guys are another story, as their standard evening attire is jeans with a designer tee shirt.

During the day, for everyone it's tee shirts, shorts, and Havaianas (flip flops) along the beach and in the Botequins and most restaurants. Include in your packing list good walking or running shoes, as you may cover a lot of territory and want to do some light hiking.

Wash and wear clothing is your best bet; items you can wash in the sink and hang dry in your room. Clothes dry quickly due to the tropical climate.
We've created a concise 10 Day Vacation Packing List, which outlines essential items to take in your luggage, and we suggest clothing to pack for for both men and women.